Yahoo! Movies: New Politics/Religion DVD Releases

Bruce Almighty

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:43 -0000

Bruce Almighty stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a "human interest" television reporter in Buffalo, New York who is discontented with almost everything in life, despite his popularity and the love of his girlfriend Grace (Jennifer Aniston). At the end of the worst day in his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God... and God responds. He appears in human form (Morgan Freeman) and, endowing Bruce with all of His divine powers, challenges Bruce to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

The Last King of Scotland

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:42 -0000

Forest Whitaker delivers a ferociously commanding performance as bloodthirsty Ugandan president Idi Amin in Kevin MacDonald's THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. Adapted from the novel by Giles Foden, the film recounts Amin's horrific reign through the eyes of a fictional character, Nick Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young doctor from Scotland who travels to Uganda hoping to do some good. Nick is more sanguine about new president Amin than is his counterpart Sarah Merrit (Gillian Armstrong), whose experience causes her to be skeptical of Amin's bombastic declarations. After an automobile accident, Nick is called in to treat the president's wounds. His authoritative behavior impresses Amin, who charms Nick into becoming his personal physician. Nick embraces his newfound life of luxury, but he is unable to grasp the reality of the situation. When he does finally realize the atrocities Amin is inflicting upon his people (and is also capable of inflicting on Nick), the terrified doctor tries to make a frantic escape before it's too late.

MacDonald, director of the acclaimed documentaries ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER and TOUCHING THE VOID, makes a startlingly assured transition into fictional filmmaking with THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. Working with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (THE CELEBRATION) and editor Justine Wright, MacDonald brings 1970s Uganda to pulsating life, perfectly recreating that tumultuous era. But ultimately the film belongs to Whitaker: as he shifts from charming to maniacal in the space of a short, unexpected breath, he infuses Amin with startling humanity. (2 hrs. 1 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Z

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:41 -0000

Based on a true incident, the Deputy Z is struck down by a speeding truck while hundreds watch. Despite the report of accidental death, a journalist's questioning of the facts leads to an investigation. (2 hrs. 5 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Murder At 1600

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:40 -0000

A mysterious murder report summons a hardened Washington D.C. homicide detective to the shadowy halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue--and draws him into a web of conspiracy, cover-ups, and corruption. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Pelican Brief

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:39 -0000

Julia Roberts (ERIN BROCKOVICH) stars in THE PELICAN BRIEF as sharp law student Darby Shaw whose querying mind gets her into trouble. A faithful adaptation of John Grisham's (THE FIRM) best-selling novel, this taut thriller follows the travails that beset Shaw when her theory on the cause of the deaths of two Supreme Court Justices lands her name on the conspirators' hit list. When Shaw teams up with reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington--THE HURRICANE) they find themselves dodging deadly assassins in a suspenseful story that weaves complex narrative strands. The well-cast film also features a cameo by playwright-actor Sam Shepard (TRUE WEST). (2 hrs. 20 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Angels & Demons

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:38 -0000

When Robert Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati -- the most powerful underground organization in history -- he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival. (2 hrs. 18 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:37 -0000

History has many unacknowledged heroes and this documentary examines a group of women who fought for peace in Liberia, campaigning to end the country's devastating civil war. Crossing religious and generation lines, the group of women first prayed for their country, and then they began a silent protest outside the walls of the president's palace. Gini Reticker, producer of Oscar-nominated short film ASYLUM, directs this eye-opening film about political action. (1 hr. 12 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:36 -0000

Documentary filmmaker Jean-Paul Jaud sets out to discover if contemporary society can create a food supply that isn't littered with contaminants by exploring the current trend of organic, localized food production in France. The current generation is the very first in history that will grow up less healthy than the one that preceded it. Cancer and infertility rates are skyrocketing. Could it have something to do with our tainted food supplies? By paying a visit to a remote French village where the lunch menu is comprised entirely of organic, locally grown foods, Jaud highlights the ways in which some communities are shunning food industry giants to go back to the basics. A wide variety of interviews with everyone from researchers to schoolchildren reveal the deep flaws that exist within the food industry and raise though-provoking questions about what can be done to correct them. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

The Lemon Tree

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:35 -0000

The conflict between Israel and Palestine is filtered through a deeply personal tale in this impressive feature from writer/director Eran Riklis. Salma Zidane (Hiam Abbass) is a lonely Palestinian widow who runs a beautiful lemon grove. But she faces trouble when the Israeli defense minister, Israel Navon (Doron Tavory), moves into her neighborhood, and his secret service agents request the destruction of the grove. The agents believe that terrorists could easily hide out in the trees and threaten the minister, so there is a court case to remove the trees. Devastated by the potential loss, Zidane hires a lawyer and takes the case to the Supreme Court, while Navon�s wife, Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael), complicates matters by feeling sympathy for her new neighbor's plight.

Riklis�s movie is downbeat and thoughtful and provides a satisfying follow-up to his acclaimed 2004 feature, THE SYRIAN BRIDE. At the heart of the picture are two isolated women, Zidane and the minister�s wife, who feel drawn to one another despite the vast difference in their circumstances. Although the two characters barely share any scenes, Riklis deftly illustrates how they are both in opposition to the values held by Navon and his administration. The lemon grove is cleverly employed as a device that represents the vast chasm between Israel and Palestine, and the film carefully includes a broad range of characters, including the lecherous minister, some oafish soldiers, and the sad-eyed Zidane. The movie is beautifully shot, although Riklis carefully avoids turning it into a feel-good feature, instead using THE LEMON TREE as a parable that examines the stark contrasts on the West Bank in the early part of the 21st century. (1 hr. 46 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Il Divo

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:34 -0000

Director Paolo Sorrentino's audacious and inventive biopic of Italian parliamentarian (and "Senator for Life") Giulio Andreotti doesn't make the Byzantine world of modern Italian politics any less confusing (non-Italian viewers may want to brush up on the topic beforehand), but the film illuminates, in great emotional detail, important events surrounding an early-1990s investigation in which the perpetual statesman was accused of having Mafia ties. The case was appealed and overturned several times, and Andreotti never served prison time, but it effectively marked the end of his centrist Christian Democratic party and forever changed the age-old relationship between the Mafia and the Italian government.

Sorrentino's fanciful use of titles, quick edits, multiple-perspective flashbacks, slow motion, extreme close-ups, and sublime musical accents--as well as star Toni Servillo's brilliantly stylized acting--convert this airless and sinister piece of world history into a dynamic tale of moral ambiguity and seemingly invulnerable political power. Servillo plays Andreotti as an arrogant, deadpan Puck--an Italian Richard Nixon replete with easily mimicable physical tics and the conviction of his own rightness. In the film's most memorable scene, Servillo allows his ironic veneer to crack just once, in a molten monologue where, spit flying, he justifies "perpetrating evil to guarantee good." Another chilling sequence intercuts a crucial Mafia hit with shots of a particularly tense and triumphant horse race, while a punky blues number roars in the background. Sorrentino's controlled and masterly storytelling won the 2008 Prix du Jury at Cannes. (1 hr. 57 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:33 -0000

It's one of U.S. history's great unanswered questions. What would have happened in Vietnam had John F. Kennedy lived? This thought-provoking documentary employs expert analysis and recently uncovered historical documents to explore the possible scenarios. In the end, the film is a penetrating study of the president's role in wartime. (1 hr. 20 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009